Improvement in cotton-planters



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FICE.

JAMES P. GLOPTON, OF TERRY, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,556, dated July 4, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES l?. GLOPTON, of Terry, in the county oi' Carroll and State ot Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Planter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section ot" my improved planter taken through the line .r m, Fig.-2. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the same, part being broken awa-yv to show the construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection of the same taken through the line y y, Fig. l.. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken through the line z z, Fig. l.

Similar letters ofreierence indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to an improved cottonplanter; and consists in the combination of certain parts, which are hereinafter described, in connection with others necessary to forni a complete operative machine.

A is the trame ot" the planter, to the middle part of the front cross-bar ot' which is attached the dralt-bar B. To the d ai't-bar B, and to the front cross-bar of the frame A, is attached a small V-shaped harrow, G, to smooth off the top ot' the ridge in front of the iurrowing and seed-droppin devices. l) is the plow-tooth or cutter that opens the furrow to receive the seed, and the shank oi' which passes up through and is adj ustabl y keyed to the rear part of the drait-bar B. E are two plates, which are attached to the trame Aat such a distance apart as to receive the wheel. F between them. The i'oiward edges ofthe plates E meet, are inclined, and made somewhat V or boat-shaped, so as to press back the sides of the furrow and keep them from falling in before the seed has been deposited. The plates or shoe E may be made of wood or iron, and may be made solid in one piece, ii" desired. The lower part ot' the plates or shoe E is made open, as shown in Figs. 1. 2, and 5, to allow the rim of the wheel F to project snt'licientl)r to take a iirm hold upon the ground in the bottom oi' the l'urrow. The wheel F is made with paddle-like projections upon its rim,

to enable it to take a iirm hold The upon the ground and prevent its slippin journals of the wheel F work in bearings in the plates or shoe E, and to their projecting ends are attached small rank-wheels G, the crank-pins of which enter and work in slots or groov as in the inner sides ot' the lower ends ot' the short levers H, which are pivoted to and between the plates or shoe E and the side bars of the frame A. The upper ends of the levers H enter notches in the under sides ofthe sliding bars l, so that the said bars may be moved back and forth by the advance oi' the machine. rllhe bars I workin grooves or channels in the base-frame ol' the hopper or seed-reservoir J, which is detachabl)v attached to the frame A, and which is designed to receive and carry a supply of seed ior supplying the plaiming-hopper K, which. is attached to the rear 'end ofthe reservoir J, a-nd the bottom of which projects below the bottom of the said reservoir J, so as to reach nearly to the ground, to more siuely introduce the seed into the furrow, and to enable the planting-hopper K to be conveniently supplied with seed from the reservoir J, even without stopping the machine. The l'ower part of the planting-hopper K is made V or wedge-shaped, and has a slot or opening in its angle or` bottom for the escape ot' the seed. The rear ends of the slidingI bars I project into and work in grooves or channels in the sides of the planting-hopper K. L are pla-tes, the upper edges of which are attached to theslidin bars I, and which extend down along the inclined sides of the bottom of the pla1iti1ig-lio1' per K, to or nearly to the discharge-opening ot said hopper. The inner sides ot' the lower parts of the plates L are corrugated or toothed, as shown in Figs. l and i?, so that the said plates, as they are moved back and torth, mav work the Vcotton-seed down into and out through the discharge-opening of the hopper K. The lower parts oi' the plates L are kept in place upon the inclined sides ot' the bot-- tom ot' the hopper K. b v bars or projections `attached to or termed upon the lower parts of the said plates, and which work through holes in the front and rear ends ol" the said hopper K. M is aspring, the iorward end of which is attached to the front cross-bar ot' the base-trame of the hopper J, and the rear end of' which rests in a slot or notch in the rear cross-bar of said basei'rame. The rear end of the sprin M is detachabllv connected, by a button or other adjustable fastening, m1, with he vertical bar N, which the frame O, which works in grooves or slots in sides of the forward parts ofthe side bars of the works in a groovel in the end of the hopper J, and has notches formed in it to receive the fastenn g m1 of the spring M. To the lower end of the vertical bar N is attached the lower part of the front and rear ends of the hopper K. The frame 0 is designed to assist the seed in escaping through the discharge-opening in the bottom ofthe hopper K, the amount of seed distributed being regulated by raising or lowering the said frame O, by adjusting the iastening m1 in a higheror lower notch of the bar N. Upon the lower side ofthe spring M is formed, or to it is attached, a projection, m2, against which the projections of the rim ot' the wheel F strike and raise the spring M, which is brought down to its place by its elasticity, thus operating the frame O to push out the seed by the advance of the machine. lo the upper part of the sliding plates L are attached one or more fingers, R, which project up ward and inward, and are designed to agitate the seed and cause it to pass down freely to the lower part of the hopper K. l) are spring-bars, to the rear ends of which the coverer is attached. The coverer is not shown in the drawing' and may be of any desired form or size. The forward ends ofthe springbars l) are pivoted to the outer frame A. The spring-bars lD are secured in posit-ion by rods or bolts Q which pass through holes in the said spring-bars l), and through. holes inthe side bars of the frame A, and which may be extended to enter holes in the plates or shoe E. Several holes are formed in the spring-bars l), or in the side bars oi' the frame A, for the reception et' the rods or bolts Q, so that the vsaid spring-bars may be raised or lowered, as may be required, to properly adjust the coverer so that it may cover the seed to any desired dept-h, the elasticity of the bars P holding the coverer down, and, at the same time, allowing it to yield, to pass over any obstruction it may encounter. The hop pers J K,.and their attachments are detachably ttached to the frame A, so that they may be conveniently detached and replaced by a device for planting corn, pease, and other smooth seeds. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination ofthe wheel F, crank-wh eels G, pivoted levers H, slide bars l, plates L, lingers B, frame O, and spring' M, substantially as shown and described.

2. The arrangement ofthe supply-hopper or reservoir J and planting-hopper K with respect to each other and the frame A, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES P. CLOPTON.

Vitnesses:

NVM. BLANKs, li. A. GLoP'roN. 

